Hotels for deceased ancestors
On the Chinese holiday of remembrance of the dead (Qingming), the relatives of the deceased go to the cemetery and present him with gifts. The offering depends on the size of the wallet and the degree of respect for the deceased.
The Chinese believe that the afterlife is not much different from ours, which means that the deceased needs to ensure a comfortable existence. He may need food, clothes, and various gadgets, and, of course, money … The latter are especially needed, since the underworld is full of various officials keeping records of arrivals. In addition, you will have to report to the courts about your behavior on the ground. There are ten of these courts, but the fifth is considered especially terrible - Yan-wang with the judge Pan-guan.
If a person has lived a century righteously, then he has a good chance to make a "career" in the next world. And some are allegedly even given several years of extra life. But this applies to the righteous. And ordinary people, not God knows what sinners, but not saints, can rely only on their descendants. After all, "afterlife officials", like earthly ones, are very fond of monetary rewards and can turn a blind eye to petty misdeeds for it.
If loved ones forget about the offerings, then a sad fate awaits the deceased. Hungry, without money, tormented by thirst, they turn into evil spirits. The same awaits those who have not left behind direct descendants. Hence the famous oriental love of childbirth, and reverence for the dead ancestors.
In ancient times, real food, money, clothes, pets, and even building materials for a home in the afterlife were brought to the sacrificial fire. But there are more and more deceased relatives, and everyone needs to be gifted. This is how the custom of replacing real things and money with their counterparts, issued specifically for afterlife rituals, became widespread.
Gradually, such substitutes became so fashionable that the burning of genuine products and money began to be considered a bad omen. And if, through negligence, present the “afterlife” bill to a living Chinese, it will cause a negative reaction.
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To the village to the dead …
The offerings to the deceased are to be burned. Together with the smoke, they will reach the addressee. And then grateful ancestors can bestow health and prosperity on their descendants, pacify quarrels in the family. They should be asked to do so. After fulfilling an urgent request, you need to present another gift as a thank you.
It is important for the deceased to know from whom exactly the present came. To do this, China produces special envelopes on which the name and surname of the sender is written. And to be faithful, practical Chinese indicate the exact address, date and time of departure of the "afterlife" on the envelope.
Afterlife bank
Officially, this custom is not welcomed, but the “afterlife-gift” business is constantly evolving. Originally, "otherworldly money" was made from gold or silver paper. Sometimes gold and silver bars were imitated using the same paper. Later they began to use paper banknotes, and they even put registration numbers on them.
With the penetration of the Chinese market, dollars began to produce their imitation in the "afterlife" version. For plausibility, the banknotes indicate that the "Bank of Hell" issued them, and the portraits of American presidents are replaced by the image of the ruler of the other world - Ditsanwang.
There are various legends about the latter. According to one version, this is a Buddhist monk from India, who voluntarily chose the moment of death. At the age of 90, he gathered his disciples, said goodbye, sat in the lotus position and died, turning into a deity after his death … Another version says that he was a great emperor during his lifetime, who earned the right to be the ruler of the other world with many works in the state field. He is usually depicted with a staff in his right hand. On the staff there are tin rings that open the doors to the courtroom. And in his left hand the ruler of the afterlife holds a pearl that illuminates the kingdom of the dead. The rebirth of the deceased depends on him.
The reverse side of the banknote depicts a building that looks like a temple. In fact, this is the "Bank of Hell", which supposedly issues such a peculiar currency. The facade of the building is decorated with images of dragons.
The denomination of bills depends on their size. Sometimes they represent an imitation of ancient money on A4 sheets, and the denomination is usually indicated in millions and trillions. Paper for issuing such "money" can be either expensive, thin, silky, or cheap, made of rough cardboard. Thus, both the rich and the poor get the opportunity to endow their ancestors with millions of dollars. Moreover, such banknotes are quite inexpensive - from 30 cents to a dollar per pack. The pack, neatly wrapped in cellophane, contains 30-50 bills. And recently even “beyond the grave” VISA cards have appeared.
Ecstasy for the dead
All goods intended for the inhabitants of the afterlife are sold in specialized stores.
There you can buy not only the "otherworldly" equivalent of money, but also a varied assortment of "afterlife gifts". Among them are imitation cars, iPhones and other luxury goods.
The producers' fantasy does not stop there. After all, the set of ritual items for the "afterlife" is not regulated in any way. So, on the shelves you can see paper equivalents of Viagra, ecstasy, condoms, images of girls of easy virtue. Well, what the dead are, such are souvenirs.
Bonfires at intersections
Cemeteries even have special stoves for burning offerings. They are made not only on commemoration days, but also on the birthday of the deceased. And if members of your family helped you in some business, you should go to the crossroads (the latter in all cultures is considered the intersection of the real and otherworldly worlds) and build a fire there. All offerings are burned on it.
Usually a suitable time is chosen for the ritual ceremony. For example, the period of the full moon or sunrise. Banknotes and gifts are burned on an impromptu altar, which can even serve as an ordinary, but clean plate. During the ceremony, the Chinese imagine the smoke returning to them as good luck. Then you should thank the heavenly emperor and bury the remaining ash under any tree near the house. If you carefully perform the ritual, then the gratitude of the ancestors will not keep you waiting.
Magazine: Secrets of the 20th century №28, Lena Gimadieva